Cushman & Wakefield veteran Mark Capasso, who has served as joint head of the practice for the last 13 years, will lead the group across the Americas, with the assistance of appraiser Leah Dauer Murphy, who has been promoted to Executive Director and will lead the U.S. The promotions mark the latest in a string of key personnel acquisitions and changes for Cushman & Wakefield’s Valuation & Advisory team and follow the promotion of Eric Lewis, the group’s most recent leader, to President of the firm’s Valuation & Advisory practice for the Americas. In 2017, the firm’s Hospitality V&A team valued more than 1,570 properties across the Americas. with an aggregate value of over $83 billion.

Capasso’s career in the hospitality industry has spanned more than 25 years, during which he has provided valuation, appraisal, and expert testimony services for a litany of prestigious companies including Four Seasons, Hilton, Hyatt, Marriott, and Caesars. He is a respected member of the casino and hotel industries, has authored numerous articles in industry publications, and has served as a guest lecturer on hotel feasibility analysis at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. Prior to joining Cushman & Wakefield’s Hospitality practice in 2003, Capasso was a Vice President in the San Francisco office of HVS International, where he headed and helped establish the Gaming Services Division in 1994. He is a Candidate for Designation from the Appraisal Institute and is licensed in seven states. Capasso received his Bachelor of Science from the William F. Harrah School of Hotel Management at the University of Nevada.

Dauer Murphy joined Cushman & Wakefield in 2016 and most recently led the firm’s V&A Hospitality practice in the Midwest. Over the past nine years, she has valued hospitality assets and land with an aggregate value in excess of $11 billion. In addition to her background as an appraiser, Ms. Dauer Murphy brings nearly a decade of operational experience in the hospitality industry to her new role. Prior to joining Cushman & Wakefield, Dauer Murphy served as a consultant and appraiser with HVS Consulting and Valuation. She is an adamant supporter of hospitality education through her involvement with the Washington State Alumni Association and as a guest lecturer at the Collins College of Hospitality Management at California State Polytechnic University, Pomona.

“I know firsthand the market knowledge and industry capabilities both Mark and Leah bring to the Cushman & Wakefield V&A team, and I’m thrilled that they’ll be leading the group going forward,” Lewis said. “In their new roles, I’m confident they'll elevate and expand our reach to cement our status as the definitive industry leader in appraising and consulting on the nation’s largest and most complex hospitality and gaming assets.”